Through the Glass Ceiling

(1994, 17 minutes)

Narrated by Alan Bennett

Once upon a time, a princess set out to look for a job which would make full
use of her abilities. To her surprise, she found a series of barriers placed
in her path - simply because she was a woman. With the support of her fairy
godmothers, and armed with a magic laptop, the princess eventually reached
the Palace of Power; only to arrive at the ultimate, invisible barrier...

This may be a fairy story, but its theme of equal opportunity at work is firmly set in the real world. As Princess Ella travels along her career path, past the Gender Salary Gap and the Velvet Grotto, she encounters characters like the Ice Queen, the Big Bad Wolf and John the Dragonslayer, all of them only too recognisable outside Fairyland.

The film will stimulate ideas and discussion about many issues, including gender discrimination, racism and other prejudices, career guidance, selection procedures, harassment, family-friendly policies, and positive action.

Highly entertaining as well as thought-provoking, THROUGH THE GLASS CEILING is designed for a general audience but will be of particular value in the context of a conference, training course or seminar. It is suitable for employers and employees, adults and young people, and anyone concerned with equality at work.

Extracts from THROUGH THE GLASS CEILING were included
in the BBC series "Breaking Glass" (1994).

A booklet containing discussion notes and resources list is supplied free with
the DVD.

THROUGH THE GLASS CEILING is also available in Greek.

This film was made with financial assistance from the European Commission.